


Cocoa Shop

by xoxodelvidestruction



Category: Motorcycling RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Coffee Shops, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26919655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoxodelvidestruction/pseuds/xoxodelvidestruction
Summary: Alex has a big plan for his retirement, and he's committed to the longest game ever.
Relationships: Luca Marini/Alex Marquez
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8
Collections: Fall





	Cocoa Shop

Luca walked into the hospitality tent just behind Alex. He didn’t want to admit it, but he wished he could invite Alex to eat with him. Valentino would hate it, though. 

Alex stood in the queue, lining up a little closer to Luca than necessary. Luca shook his head, reminding himself that Alex probably wasn’t doing it intentionally. He had no reason to want to be closer to him. 

“Don’t you ever wish you could have cocoa instead of coffee?” Alex asked, leaning in to whisper it. Luca grinned, nodding. 

“It looks so good,” he agreed, holding out a little paper cup to Alex. The other rider took it, his fingers brushing Luca’s. Alex smiled at him, and Luca realised the touch was intentional.

“Maybe one day we can meet up somewhere and have a cup together,” Alex suggested, feeling very bold.

“I’m sure our brothers would love that,” Luca chuckled, wishing more than anything that they really could. “When you find it, see if they have white chocolate cocoa. That’s my favourite.” 

“Maybe I’ll just learn how to make it,” Alex shrugged, smirking at Luca. 

Alex picked up the packet of powdered cocoa mix. He wondered what exactly was in it. Then, his brain began to wonder just how to create something all his own. 

He’d need a chocolate powder of some sort, a cocoa flavouring. Maybe some vanilla to give it a richer quality. 

He picked up the kettle, filling it with water and plopping it on the stove. He gathered up the baking cocoa powder in his mother’s pantry and poured a small amount into a mug. Next, he added a dash of sugar to make sure it was sweet rather than bitter. 

The kettle whistled, letting him know it was ready. He poured the boiling water into the cup, stirring to mix in the powders. The granulated sugar didn’t dissolve like he’d hoped. 

“Mama, will you taste this?” he asked, walking into the living room. Roser put down her book, taking the mug. She sipped it slowly, making a face as she tasted it. 

“What is this?” Roser pushed the mug back into his hands, shaking her head. Alex went a little red, surprised at her strong reaction. “You’re old enough I don’t have to pretend. Remember those cheese pancakes you and Marc made when you were little?” she chuckled, lifting her book again. 

“Can you describe it?” 

“Why don’t you taste it?” she replied. It wasn’t entirely like Alex to experiment with cooking on his own. 

“I can’t. There’s too much sugar in it for during the season,” he shrugged. His mother grinned, deciding against asking just what he was up to. 

“Well, it’s very bitter and watery. If you’re trying to make cocoa, try using milk instead of water as a base,” she suggested. 

“Milk,” Alex said slowly, wandering back into the kitchen. This cocoa thing was going to take more work than he thought. 

Over the next week Alex spent several hours in the kitchen. His first attempt at heating up the milk had gone horribly wrong, the milk turning into a crusted burn on the bottom of the pan. 

After a few attempts, he turned the heat down, letting the milk come to a slow boil rather than being so impatient. It seemed to work much better. 

Satisfied with the consistency and temperature, he began melting chocolate bars into it. They were another problem. Melting an entire bar into a pot of milk was not going well. 

Many more hours of research later, Alex figured out how to create and use a double boiler. This helped immensely with the chocolate melting. Especially now that he had switched to using chocolate chips rather than bars. The smaller pieces melted much more evenly. 

He stirred the chocolate, glad to see how smooth it was. Alex poured in a measure of milk, continued to stir until it looked like a thick chocolate sauce. 

He transferred his new concoction to a mug, taking it out to the garage. His father was working on the family car so Alex hoped it would be a nice treat. Plus, he could get some more notes. 

“Something warm?” Alex asked, holding out the steaming mug. His dad nodded gratefully, pulling off his gloves to cup the drink with both hands. 

“Thank you,” he said, taking a long drink. He smacked his lips a few times, the drink obviously thick and hard to swallow down like a regular beverage. “What…” he trailed off, tilting the cup to get a good look at the brown liquid. 

“I’m creating my own cocoa. Is it too much chocolate?” Julia nodded, rotating the mug side to side. The ‘cocoa’ didn’t exactly create a wave, sluggishly crawling up the side of the cup. 

“Try adding chocolate into the milk instead of the other way around,” he commented, knowing exactly which way Alex had mixed this drink. 

Alex went back to the drawing board. He had less time with travelling for races, but he still worked diligently on his recipe every time he was home. 

Some of his test subjects were tired of all the different types of chocolate beverages Alex constantly pushed on them. Others were ecstatic with the constant flow of different cocoas, each one better than the last. 

After nearly twenty tries, Alex was finally getting the hang of it. The cocoa was starting to resemble a regular drink, despite his many improvements. 

“Oh my god, this is incredible,” Dani groaned. He was still careful about his diet, but the smell of the chocolate had worn him down. It was impossible to resist. 

“Really?” Alex asked, leaning forward. “Is it rich enough, warm enough?” 

“Kid, this is exceptional. It’s decadent but not too heavy. And, there’s this extra…” he trailed off, taking another sip. He savoured the taste, trying to figure out what the unique taste was. 

“I added just a little caramel to the chocolate before I mixed it in,” Alex admitted, pulling a little notepad out of his back pocket. He scribbled down a note, glad to see the totally entranced expression on Dani’s face. 

“Honestly, this is my favourite weird project you’ve ever done. Keep making these,” Dani praised, holding out his now empty cup with a grin. “Have you still never tasted it?” Alex shook his head. 

“I will as soon as I retire.” 

Luca wandered through the side streets of Barcelona. He’d been here plenty of times, but since he’d retired from racing nearly five years ago. Today, he was hunting for a particular little cafe. It had been scratching at his mind for months.  _ Someone _ filling his dreams. 

The crisp fall air blew through the little trees that lined the side street, ruffling their orange and red leaves. It was like something out of a storybook. 

Finally, he saw the storefront he was hunting for. The little metal tables and chairs were bright blue. Luca grinned to himself, recognizing that particular shade. 

He paused outside, tracing a finger over one of the orange leaves painted on the window. Inside, there were lots of people standing in line. It was the busiest shop on the entire street. 

Luca stepped inside, glancing up at the little bell above the door that chimed. The tall man behind the counter glanced up, his hands going still as he recognized him. A giant smile spread across his face, and he turned to one of the other employees, shifting them into take his spot behind the register. 

“Of all the cocoa joints, you walk into mine,” Alex said, his eyes bright as he looked at Luca. 

“This place is amazing,” Luca praised, looking around at the cafe. It was warm and cozy, everything feeling familiar despite this being his first time in.

“Have a seat. I’ll bring you the house special,” Alex winked, gesturing to an open table by the front window. 

A few minutes later he returned, two cups of cocoa in his hands. He set one down in front of the empty chair, reaching across to set the other in front of Luca. 

“White chocolate,” Luca grinned, picking up the mug. 

“It’s your favourite,” Alex replied, sitting down across from him. Luca reached over, resting his hand on top of Alex’s. 


End file.
